Children in Crisis (CIC) was founded in 1993.  Its work focuses on three areas, Education, Healthcare and Protection.  CIC works in Afghanistan, China, East Timor, Ecuador, Kenya, Russia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.  For more information about the organisation as a whole please go to the CIC website at http://www.childrenincrisis.org.uk

CIC started working in Afghanistan in 1997 and currently works on 4 projects:

• Accelerated Learning (ALP), funded by USAID.

• Orphan Reunification (ORP), funded by UNICEF and in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

• Street Working Children Project (SWC), funded by the EC.

• Teacher Training, funded by Comic Relief.

The Street Working Children project
This project started in June 2003.  CIC joined the CRC, a consortium of 5 national and international NGOs all with the aim of improving the lives of street and working children in Kabul. 

CIC’s experience both in Afghanistan and in Ecuador has shown that the more responsibility adult family members take on, the more likely it is that children can stop working.  CIC has also seen that families can feel uncomfortable in accessing local services.  CIC’s approach is to support the family to become more self-sufficient and confident and thereby more able to provide for the health, education and financial needs of the family.  Once the family’s financial responsibility is placed back in the hands of adults, the children have less need to work to support the family and they have the opportunity to attend school. 

We have 3 centres in 3 districts of Kabul and a team of 7 Social Welfare Educators (SWEs), a sports coordinator, 4 teachers and a nurse. 

Our approach is to encourage working children to attend a CIC centre.  Once the child is attending the centre the SWEs visit the families and work, over time, to support them in making a plan to address the economic situation of the family.  Depending on the plan, CIC will then provide vocational training to an adult family member, buy materials so that an adult can set up their own business or help an adult find employment. With the economic situation of the family being addressed CIC works with the children to provide them, through CIC centres, with an accelerated learning course.  The aim is for the child to be able to enter mainstream school after 1 year in a CIC centre.  For over-aged children (too old to attend their grade level) we offer vocational training and then provide equipment for the children to either start their own business or start a business with a partner.

CIC also provides organised extra-curricula activities such as sport, music, drama and art in order to address the psycho-social well-being of the children in the centres.  A nurse provides basic medical care and conducts health education lessons for the children and families.